Infinitives and Gerunds
Although many verbs
take both forms, gerunds and infinitives, there seem to be an underlying
semantic principle that the infinitive very often expresses something
hypothetical, future unfulfilled, and the gerund typically expresses
something real, vivid and fulfilled.
Consider The Following
- I remember locking
the door. (locking occurred before remembering)
- I remembered to lock
the door. ( remembering occurred before locking)
- I tried closing the
window. (I closed the window)
- I tried to close the
window. (I didn't close the window)
- There is another
rule: optimistic verbs take infinitives - such as:
- Hope - Want - Like
- Love
- And pessimistic
verbs take gerunds- such as: dislike
- avoid - hate - deny
- I hate
(see) _____ any living being suffer -> seeing
- Verbs
taking both gerunds and infinitives: regret, try forget, remember,
prefer
- What do you
remember doing yesterday?
- What did you
remember to do yesterday?
- However, notice
that the meaning may change depending on whether we use gerunds or
infinitives.
Consider The
Following:
- I prefer
(drive) _____ rather than (take) _____ a plane -> driving,
taking
- If I say, "I
prefer to drive rather than to take the plane," I mean NOW.
- If I say, "I
prefer driving rather than taking the plane," I mean ALWAYS.
- What
did you forget (do) _____ before you left for class this morning?
